Scottish Parliament calls for views on its Gaelic Language Plan

01/10/2012

The public is being asked to provide its views on the Scottish Parliament’s Gaelic Language Plan for 2013-18.

The draft plan describes how, over the next five years, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), the body which runs the Parliament, will include Gaelic in its services, how it will enable the use of Gaelic in its communications and how it will promote and develop Gaelic as a language.

The Scottish Parliament’s Gaelic Development Officer Alasdair MacCaluim said: “The SPCB recognises that Gaelic is an integral part of Scotland’s heritage, national identity and cultural life.

“The SPCB has put in place appropriate structures and initiatives to enable it to contribute to the wider work going on in Scotland, to ensure that Gaelic has a sustainable future.

“Our consultation period runs until 4 November. All views are welcomed.”

The draft language plan states that the SPCB recognises that a concerted effort on the part of authorities and bodies, community organisations and individual speakers is required to:

enhance the status of Gaelic;

promote the acquisition and learning of Gaelic;

encourage the increased use of Gaelic.

This will be the SPCB’s second Gaelic Language Plan. It has been prepared in accordance with statutory criteria set out in the Gaelic Language (Scotland) 2005 Act.

The key emphasis of the plan is increasing uptake of Gaelic services at Holyrood. There is also an emphasis on the Parliament’s use of Gaelic through social media.

The SPCB commitments to Gaelic in the plan will be sourced from within existing budgets.

For more information on the plan and to submit views through a short, online form, visit: